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Archive | February 2018

With the coming Lunar based celebration and the progression of time marked in the twins being firmly placed in the teen years I decided to take one of my busiest weeks (did I mention Valentine’s Day?) and re-center myself and place my focus more firmly on doing “me”.

Well, it has been a week and what have I learned?

I am a pretty awesome person, and I don’t mean… hey look at me I am so awesome, but more… there is some much potential I can still tap… I have plans and ideas, more hopes and dreams than I really have examined. I don’t know if I inspire awe in others but after a week of letting my mind run unchecked at times and firmly focused on tasks at others I realize I need to be proud of myself.

This week I started my journey in yoga. A special thanks to those who suggested Yoga With Adriene on YouTube. Her beginner video has me confident and ready to continue. It has lead me to realize that I can better silence all the activity in my mind. That I can find time for myself even if it has to be me saying “nope time to stop and do this activity” and ignore the busy house around me.

I am a success even when I fail because I tried. Sometimes I wonder if I am good enough, strong enough, smart enough. Well, I don’t have answers to those wonders but I did realize this week that I AM enough because I give my all. My family is covered in love and good intentions because when I do these things for them that I have done for years I do them with integrity and intention. Maybe to others I need more of this aspect or the other but I know that in my success and failure I am learning and adapting which means I set an example to my children that is positive and strong. They see that I don’t give up or let it get to me, I adapt. Which is what I ask them to do.

I took on a personal challenge… a week of 9 hours per day with 250+ steps per hour. Which sometimes had me hopping around like a lunatic 5 min before the hour when I got caught up in a visit or with crochet (definitely a hobby that leads to a comfortable chair and not a wandering body). But I managed. This showed me that I need to get up and move, because each day by 6pm I felt better. I wandered the house and picked up things I usually would have sent a kid to do or done later. I showed my kids that movement was a positive and that it was okay to break up a moment by moving around. And I celebrated like a silly goose often as I made my steps.

The big thing I didn’t so much learn but had reinforced in my mind is that while my life is hectic and sometimes unconventional and occasionally a little isolating it is amazing. I am blessed and challenged at the same time. Sometimes by my own choosing and others by what life has thrown at me. It isn’t a question of changing anything or wishing I could change anything but a full realization that what I am living right now is utterly unique to me and my family. There is no true equal comparison out there to what we are as a family. There is no need for one. The love of my life is amazing, my children a challenging collection of unique humans who amaze me as they drive me mad. And without them I would not be me. Yes I don’t drive, I homeschool my kids, I am shy in public, scared of more than a few things, but I am also loved… I am strong and decisive… I support my family in so many special ways and hopefully am finding ways to do the same for friends and extended family. I love, am loved and will always find ways to share love… which makes me, my life, and those around me… AMAZING.

So as I ignored ways to compare things, my life, my appearance, my school set up, my parenting choices, my home… I freed myself up a bit. Freed myself from some self doubt, from a few fears, from little niggling obsessions I sometimes have trouble letting go of. (And maybe started the road to being a little more “bendy” as Ken would say)

I took a week of introspection and exploration and realized… why should I stop? Maybe a little less care of my appearance to others and a little more joy is what I need… oh and 3 classes a week of R.I.P.P.E.D. and some amazing documentaries with a good crochet project. Always a good crafting project… cuz creativity soothes this soul… as does making knots, origami, felting… I am branching out. So here I am embarking on a month or more of finding me in my life. Wish me luck!!!

Whatever that means… Echo turned 7 in August. And summer continued to happen.

The twins did the Splash and Dash at the YMCA. This was the last year they could register and the first I had heard of it. It was just a fun thing and they did enjoy it. I think this year Ken will do a fun run with them. The other three with the rest of the clubY kids who were there were around to cheer them on.

We spent a lot of time at the YMCA in August. Lots of walking in the sunshine to do what we could do there. Zander chose to do schoolwork over club as he really does get bored. They are so quickly aging out of the program really.

It was quite the trick to get this daycare art with its paint home!

Don’t forget karate!

We did try to see the total (well mostly here) solar eclipse. We went so far as to make viewing boxes… but weather conspired against us. So we went from an eclipse viewing to playing in the warm rain! Not a bad trade off!

With our viewing boxes early in the morning when we could see some clear sky.

So much for that!

How we had to watch it

Our revised rain party

Of course we worked on getting used to our newest member of the family. She is so fun to photograph (if you follow me on Facebook or Instagram you would be well aware of this already!).

Emanuel took a week off the family and went to a camp with his friend Aidan. It was so odd to only have 4 kids!

We made as many beach trips as we could on our sunny free days. Sometimes including friends like the Schwartz boys and their mom Renee.

We went to a neighborhood community event hosted by friends we made at the YMCA who were also instrumental in getting me off my butt and into the R.I.P.P.E.D. classes!

Bike parade

Had school in our classroom AND in the sunroom.

We did our part and sent some of our useful items to the YMCA collection for the YMCA in Houston after the hurricanes. It was so amazing to be part of a very successful drive where the two YMCAs worked together to fulfill a requested need.

Miss Echo lost her first teeth!

And I sewed up a storm.

A purse!

We visited the Pixar exhibit at the science museum with out homeschool buds.

Echo and Nate

Ken and I visited the local soda shop.

And visited with Cousin Robbie. As well as baby Karissia when we were over at the Novaks. You will remember pictures of her baby shower HERE (her mom is Sophia).

Snoopy!

We had lovely fancy ice cream out at a place near the Novak’s as well.

Snuck in some Canadian pride time at Canada Days in Little Canada. Though it was less exciting than we expected.

It was a great month in retrospect. I love that these moments flash back into my mind as I look at the pictures. I hope you enjoy them too!

Poor things, this year their birthday fell on the Monday. Which for our schoolroom means we still have a normal, though slightly lighter school day.

Lunch was present time. Once again Aunty Holly and family picked the best gifts. Trinity also coloured them a colouring page.

We had evening classes as normal at the YMCA… drawing class, leadership and then my R.I.P.P.E.D. class at 7pm. The leadership teacher and kids stuff made the boys and Emanuel their own cards! I love our YMCA so much.

We gave them a late supper choice and they chose Mexican. We went to the new place near the YMCA which says it is authentic. It was amazing. And the boys were so polite and respectful. It was such a good dinner.

We really went all out and stopped at Dairy Queen on the way home for an ice cream cake. Which Zander had to wait until the next day to eat.

They told me it was a great day, even with the schoolwork. We have a friend coming over for an overnighter on another weekend and of course there were the grandparent calls.

Happy Birthday to my first and oldest babies! Tiny miracles growing up so quickly.